Pharmacists Need Shot of Compassion

I was at the local Walgreen’s picking up a new prescription for my son and I was a little worried. The medicine would have to be given by injection, and not being a nurse or a diabetic, I had never done it before. I also didn’t want to give my son a shot because he is scared of needles.

One month’s dose of Humera was costing me and my insurance company over $6,800. It is an anti-inflammatory, used mainly for rheumatoid arthritis, and a perfect example of a pharmaceutical company’s greed. Still, after paying so much, and being a regular customer, most people would expect decent treatment.

The girl behind the counter told the pharmacist go over the process of injecting the medication with me. There was a doctor’s recommendation on the medication. He impatiently looked at her and said, “I don’t have time for that. The instructions are in the box.” Then he looked at me and said, “I’m sure you know more about it than I do.”

Seeing what an idiot he was, I just agreed with him. (Thankfully, my son’s nurse had given me an instruction sheet.) But in retrospect, I was mad as hell. The next day, I called Walgreens and spoke to the manager of the store. I told him he was losing my business, and a lot of money, if that was the best they can do. He said, “Well, maybe that’s the best one person can do.”

And not going back is the best I can do. I can be treated like crap for free.

No doubt others have had similar experiences to mine. A few months ago, CVS “lost” a prescription faxed to them three times, leaving me without my medication for 4 days, before it was “found”. I was feeling the effects of withdrawal from my medicine, but found no sympathy from the pharmacist. They did not even offer me a few days’ worth of pills to help me out while they figured out the problem. When I would call to check on the status of my prescription I was treated as an aggravation. I could hear the girl who answered the phone sigh, as if “it’s her AGAIN.” It would be different if I was a drug addict looking for a fix, but I have been on this particular medicine since 1985.

No matter what they say on TV, or how they act, they are not there to help you. They are there to get your money and your insurance company’s money. They are actually just gatekeepers that they hold the key to your medicine. But in the end, they are just following orders.

When I see a commercial for a pharmacy such as Walgreen’s or CVS, all I can do is laugh. They portray their staff and pharmacists as a competent, caring group of people. This is false advertising. The best these glorified cashiers can do is hold you up, not transfer a prescription, lose your fax, give you the wrong medication or dosage, blow you off, put you on hold forever, make you wait in the drive-thru, screw up your insurance information, deny access to your prescription, and treat you like a junkie if you need your refill NOW.

As most patrons of any pharmacy know, we are at their mercy. I think most of them have condescending attitudes because they are disillusioned with their jobs. After all that chemistry and a degree, at the end of the day, they just counted pills, printed labels and ran a cash register.

In all my years being a patient and a consumer, I have found only a few compassionate, educated and caring pharmacists. If you have one, be grateful.